Got this on sale..the 2010 end of year clearance. Must say it has held up nicely in the Japanese cold storage. Typical Fuka look to it..lots of smaller needles, broken bits and some dust. The smell in a warmed kyusu is very pleasant. It seemed quite deeply steamed.. the leaves post brew look like creamed spinach! the aroma, to me, is of asparagus and spinach as well..perhaps some melon tossed in. 1st steep for 30 seconds.. 2nd at 15 and then creeping back up on both time and temp into the fourth steep,